Loose-leaf binder.



G. J. HEIDEL.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1911.

Patented Aug.26, 1913.

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proved diagonally-slotted connecting CHARLES J OIIN HEIDEL, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

LO0SE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 26,1913.

Application filedNovember 13, 1911. Serial No. 659,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, CrIAnLns J OHN Hnmnn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loose-leaf binders and more particularly to those known as round-back binders. Its principal object is to provide an obliquely-slotted plate inconnection with the extensible lid or cover members, coupling means and actuating means whereby said lid or cover members may be readily extended from or drawn toward each other to suit the varying supply of leaves or sheets that is removably placed between said lid or cover members.

Another important object of the invention ,is to provide telescopic binding-posts that are of oblong or elongated structure in crosssection and adapted to be engaged by simi lar or corresponding holes or openings in the inner binding edge of each of the leaves or sheets and to use them with the customary telescopic binding-posts thatrare of circular cross-section, to better preserve or maintain a true alinement of the said leaves or sheets between the lid or cover members of the binder.

The invention consists of certain novel features of arrangement and construction of parts that will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing the inner face of the extensible or binder mechanism and fragmentary portions of the lid or cover members that are duly hinged or pivotally-.

connected to said expansible binder mechanism; Fig. 2, a central, longitudinal section Fig. 3, a transverse section taken on the dotted-line a, a, of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a plan view of the outer face of the extensible members of the binder showing my imi anc operating plate applied thereto, with said extensible members partly expanded or extended from each other; Fig. 5, a fragmentary inner plan view of the detachable outer facing or round-back member of the binder, showing my improved operating-screw and traveler device in position thereon; Fig. 6,

.a cross-section showing the traveler and slotted-plate connection for operating the extensible-members; and Fig. 7, a fragmentary plan showing the inner binding-edge of the peculiar form of leaf or sheet used in my improved binder that is provided with corresponding auxiliary binding-posts for assuring the true alinement ofa plurality of leaves or sheets within the binder.

In these views, 1 indicates the round-back or concave-convex body portion having hollow end fillings or closures 2 and 3 on its inner face, the said closure 3 having an outer orifice or opening 42, as best seen in Fig. 2.

5 indicates a longitudinally-extended, operating screw-shaft journaling in boxes 6 and -7 within the hollow or concave inner face of the back 1 and having rivet-held collars or sleeves 8, 8 on its smooth port-ion, at either end of the long journal-box 6, whereby said operating-shaft is permitted to rotate but not to move lengthwise. The

'longbearing ,6 is adapted to impart firmness and stability to the screw-shaft 5 in its operations. The bearing 7 is shorter than the one 6 and it is provided to support the extreme inner end of the shaft 5 against lateral movement. The outer end of the shaft 5 is flat-sided, as shown at 9 in Fig. 2, to accommodate an operating key or wrench. The fiat-sided end 9 lies within the inclosure 3 and access thereto is had through the orifice 4:.

10 indicates an internally-threaded nut or traveler engaging the threaded portion of the operating-shaft 5 between the inner bearing 7 and the inner collar 8 and it is provided with openings or holes 11 in pairs at either side the shaft 5.

12, 12 indicate the two lids or cover-members of the binder, each having hinge-con- -nection along its inner-edge with the longitudinal channel-bar 13, the latter being arranged parallel and adjacent to a longitudinal side-edge of the round-back 1. Each channel 13 has an inwardly-projecting flange l4: projecting from its inner wall 15, the latter having flat, telescoping guideends 16.

17, 17 represent telescopically-engaging binding-posts projecting transversely across the space between the channels 13 and supported by the said inner walls 15 of said channels and 18, 18 indicate companion telescopically-engaging binding-posts also disposed transversely in said space between the channels 13 and, also, projecting from said inner walls 15, inwardly-adjacent to said binding-posts 17, as best seen in Fig. 1. The binding-posts 17 are each circular in cross-section and the binding-posts 18 are of elongated or oval crosssection. .The said binding-posts 18 are constructed in said elongated form. to assure a better alinement of the expansible or extensible parts of the binder and to form auxiliaries to said binding-posts 17, to prevent torsional or lateral strain on the binder in use and to provide a firmer and more substantial product for carrying and containing the desired number of loose leaves or sheets within the lids or covers. '1 1e binding-posts 17 are of the customary circular cross-section and are placed. in position to suit the customary open, key-hole slots 19 provided in the inner bindingedge of each leaf or sheet 20, such key-hole slots being positioned for the customary engagement with the binding-posts of the transfer-binder that is used for containing the leaves or sheets when removed from the ledger or other like temporary binder in general use. Elongated openings or slots 21 with outwardly-disposed slits 21 are made in the leaf or sheet 20 adjacent the key-hole slots 19 and are adapted to engage the elongated bindingposts 18 for the true and positive alinement above referred to. In making various sizes of binders, wherein the leaves or sheets 20 would be of greater or less length, the position of the bindingposts 17 and the key-hole slots 19 would assume the same relation to the inner corners of the leaves or sheets in all sizes, but, on the other hand, the position of the elongated binding-posts 18 and the elongated openings or slots 21 in the several leaves or sheets would be arranged to suit the length of the leaves or sheets, that is to say, said binding-posts 18 and slots 21 would be nearer to the posts 17 and slots 19 in the shorter leaves or sheets than they would be in the longer leaves or sheets.

22 indicates an elongated plate or bar having adjacent oblique slots 23 arranged in correspondingly alined pairs at opposite ends thereof and adapted to couple the two cover-members of the binder in extensible relation, headed pins 21 being used to engage said oblique slots 23 and projecting from the inwardly-disposed flanges or plates 14 of the said several covers of the binder.

A set of pins 25 projects outwardly at right-angles from the center of the plate 22, in quadrangular form to engage the holes or openings 11 made in the nut or traveler 10 on the operating screw-shaft 5. The engagement of said pins 25 with the traveler takes place when the round-back or body portion 1 has been removably attached in place by means of cross-bars 26 whose inner edges 27 loosely engage the opposite ends of the flanges 1 1 and whose outer edges are secured by means of screws 28 to the boxings or closures 2. The inner edges 27 of the Crossbars 26 but very lightly contact with the flanges 14-, so that the latter are permitted to slide or reciprocate thereunder in the operation of expanding or contracting the two lid or cover members of the binder from or toward each other, respectively.

In the operation of the device, a suitable winding key or wrench is applied to the flatened outer end 9 of the screw-shattt 5 whereby the latter is turned in the direction to suit the purpose of either expanding the cover-members from each other or drawing them toward each other in the use of the 'binder and to suit, in turn, the supply of leaves or sheets between said cover-members. In turning said screw 5 the traveler 10 is engaged thereby so that it, in turn, causes the plate 22 to move longitudinally and the oblique slots 23 in such plate 22 to engage the pins 21 on the flanges 1 1. Said oblique slots 23 and pins 2 1 act in the nature of cams toi orce said flanges 1 1 from each other or to draw them toward each other, to suit the number of leaves or sheets to be placed and held bet-ween the lids or covers that are carried by said flanges 14 and the telescopic devices mounted between the channels 13. A very simple and effective device is provided in the use of said ohliquely-slotted plate 22 and the traveler-com nection 10 and pins 25, which is also very economical to make and to keep in repair, and is very easily operated, the friction being reduced to a minimum, all as will be very clearly obvious. The degree of slant or obliquity of the slots 23 in plate 22 will be measured or made to suit the size of the binder and the speed at which it is desired to space the lid or cover members. The broad heads are providedon the pins 24 to assure a better outer bearing-contact with the plate 22 and to prevent any wabbling or any lateral strain 011 the pins 24: in the movement of the plate 22.

I claim 1. A loose-leaf binder comprising lids or covers, channel-bars flexibly connected thereto, flanges on said channel-bars disposed inwardly at right-angles thereto, transverse guiding and binding means between said channel-bars, a longitudinal plate or bar having two pairs of correspondingly alined, converging obliqueslots therein, headed pins on said flanges adapted to freely engage said oblique slots, a plurality of upright pins or projections mounted on said plate or bar and arranged midlength thereof, a round-back member connected to said flanges free for the latter to reciprocate transversely thereunder, a longitudinal screw-shaft journaling on the inner face of said round-back member, and

a traveling-nut mounted on the screwthreaded portion of said shaft and having a plurality of holes therein that correspond with and are adapted to freely engage the said pins projecting from the contacting obliquely-slotted plate.

2. A loose-leaf binder comprising a pair of lid or cover members, channel-bars flexibly connected thereto, inwardly-disposed flanges or bars projecting at right-angles from said channel-bars, telescopic guides at the opposite ends of said channel-bars, telescopic binding-posts of circular cross-section projecting and engaging transversely between said channel-bars, telescopic bindingpostsjof elongated or oblong cross-section arranged adjacent to said binding-posts of circular cross-section and parallel thereto, reciprocating means for forcing said flanges apart or drawing them toward each other for Varying the space between the lid or cover members, a round-back member, and means within said round-back member for actuating the said reciprocating means.

CHARLES JOHN HEIDEL. Witnesses:

JOHN ELIAS JoNEs, LORETTA LUCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). O. 

